Martha Karua, Kenyan presidential hopeful and former justice minister, was deported from Tanzania on Sunday after arriving to observe a high-profile treason trial.
Karua had travelled to Dar es Salaam to attend the court proceedings of Tundu Lissu, leader of Tanzania’s opposition Chadema party, who faces charges punishable by death.
Upon arrival, Karua and her delegation were detained at the airport and forced to board a return flight without explanation or charges.
“This was a blatant act of intimidation,” Karua said upon landing in Nairobi. “We were there in peaceful solidarity, not to interfere.”
Karua accused Tanzania’s ruling party of systematically eliminating opposition voices before the October elections, where Lissu had been seen as the main challenger to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
She described the deportation as further evidence that Lissu would not receive a fair trial under the current administration.
Tanzania’s electoral commission barred Chadema from participating in the elections after the party refused to sign an electoral code it deemed biased.
Karua’s People’s Liberation Party condemned her expulsion, calling it a breach of fundamental freedoms and East African Community principles.
In a recent interview, Karua warned of democratic backsliding in East Africa, saying Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were “dangerous” for dissenters.
She claimed governments across the region were “neutering the opposition” ahead of elections through arrests, violence, and fear.
In Kenya, at least 60 people were killed in anti-government protests last year, with dozens abducted by security forces, rights groups say.
Karua also represents Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was abducted in Kenya last year and sent back to Uganda to face treason charges.
Ugandan army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba recently threatened opposition voters, warning traitors would be deported “in public view.”